Night Out In? (supermarket meal deals)

elliep_2

I'm not entirely sure this is what you're asking about but here goes...

I've tried the Tesco ready meals from the fridge section. They were on some sort of deal (I forget what exactly) to encourage me to buy 3 courses. but it was all mix and match. I bought crispy duck and pancakes for starter which was a bit dry but then it wasn't straight off the bone like it would have been in a resturant - or I may have overdone the warming it.

I then bought sweet and sour chicken (my favourite) and a chicken tikka curry (DH's favourite) and we shared both. The were delicious, can't fault them at all.

Even though the food was great I wouldn't get it again unless it was on a very special offer because it's still significantly more expensive than anything I might make from scratch and if we're having a night in we'd prefer to reax with a pizza and DVD or cook something lovely together and enjoy eating it together. For us there isn't that much enjoyment in eating a special meal that neiter of us has put in the effort for unless we are out enjoying the scenery and atmosphere of being out.

If you want more info on my opinions for your dissertation please PM me as I probably won't be back on this thread.

suzi_69

Hi,

Just thought I'd add my opinions to the rest, in the hope it helps you. I wouldn't have bothered with supermarket meals before the credit crunch started to bite, me & hubby ate out occasionally & had a couple of takeaways a week. Since M&S Dine in for £10 started to catch my eye (around October last year) I started buying these & continued buying them right up to Christmas. I wouldn't shop in M&S normally, I find them too dear, but I make a special trip every fortnight just for the meal deal. It doesn't tempt me to buy any other items from them though, I just get the deal & go!

I think the quality is good, but certainly not "restaurant" quality. I'm not a great cook & find home cooking a trial, so I'd much rather bung one of these in the oven than sweat over a hot stove for an hour! I think their portions, on the whole, are quite generous, but it depends on the items you choose. Several times I have been disappointed with the choice available to purchase, when popular items sell out. I do think the meals are value for money though & when there has been a decent choice, I have opted to buy two deals at a time. My biggest disappointment was the New Year deal, where the items were poor quality. Since Christmas, I have been 3 times to buy a deal & left empty-handed each time (including this afternoon) as there seems to be a downturn in the choices available, but that could also be down to the fact I have moved jobs & now am going to different branches of M&S than before. I will still think about purchasing them, but my opinion of them has dropped considerably in 2009.

I have also tried two different lots of Tesco deals. The first one was disgusting - it was a main course, side & desert for £5 - we chose a lasagne, which was just so sloppy & cheap, we both left it. The garlic bread & desert was marginally better but not great & I certainly would never attempt them again. The 2nd time, it was a Finest deal for £9 - this was much better. We had the Steak Diane that another person had commented on above - I thought it was OK, not great or restaurant quality, but quite pleasant. We had dauphinoise potatoes, raspberry panacotta & a Finest Rose too, which were all quite nice & saved us several pounds.

We would sooner have these meals than, say, a chinese takeaway or pizza, as they may be "processed" food, but include fresher vegetables & potatoes (which must be healthier, if only marginally!), wine & a decadent desert for less than 2 takeaway dishes would cost.

Its definitely a fortnightly treat that we would happily pay for, which doesn't break the bank & provides tasty food of a reasonable quality.

Any further info required, don't hesitate to pm me!

Good luck!

Suzi

Bronnie

suzi_69 wrote: »

Hi,

Just thought I'd add my opinions to the rest, in the hope it helps you. I wouldn't have bothered with supermarket meals before the credit crunch started to bite, me & hubby ate out occasionally & had a couple of takeaways a week. Since M&S Dine in for £10 started to catch my eye (around October last year) I started buying these & continued buying them right up to Christmas. I wouldn't shop in M&S normally, I find them too dear, but I make a special trip every fortnight just for the meal deal. It doesn't tempt me to buy any other items from them though, I just get the deal & go!

I think the quality is good, but certainly not "restaurant" quality. I'm not a great cook & find home cooking a trial, so I'd much rather bung one of these in the oven than sweat over a hot stove for an hour! I think their portions, on the whole, are quite generous, but it depends on the items you choose. Several times I have been disappointed with the choice available to purchase, when popular items sell out. I do think the meals are value for money though & when there has been a decent choice, I have opted to buy two deals at a time. My biggest disappointment was the New Year deal, where the items were poor quality. Since Christmas, I have been 3 times to buy a deal & left empty-handed each time (including this afternoon) as there seems to be a downturn in the choices available, but that could also be down to the fact I have moved jobs & now am going to different branches of M&S than before. I will still think about purchasing them, but my opinion of them has dropped considerably in 2009.

I have also tried two different lots of Tesco deals. The first one was disgusting - it was a main course, side & desert for £5 - we chose a lasagne, which was just so sloppy & cheap, we both left it. The garlic bread & desert was marginally better but not great & I certainly would never attempt them again. The 2nd time, it was a Finest deal for £9 - this was much better. We had the Steak Diane that another person had commented on above - I thought it was OK, not great or restaurant quality, but quite pleasant. We had dauphinoise potatoes, raspberry panacotta & a Finest Rose too, which were all quite nice & saved us several pounds.

We would sooner have these meals than, say, a chinese takeaway or pizza, as they may be "processed" food, but include fresher vegetables & potatoes (which must be healthier, if only marginally!), wine & a decadent desert for less than 2 takeaway dishes would cost.

Its definitely a fortnightly treat that we would happily pay for, which doesn't break the bank & provides tasty food of a reasonable quality.

Any further info required, don't hesitate to pm me!

Good luck!

Suzi

Suzi, to move away from the point of the thread slightly, please be assured if you go to a quality shop for a Chinese takeaway , you will be getting more in the way of lightly cooked fresh vegetables than you ever will in a processed meal from a supermarket. Choose your meal wisely and opt for steamed rice and your Chinese takeaway will be 'healthier' over a processed meal any time.

Fenella

Some of the main courses in the M & S selection are uncooked enabling you to cook them in your own way. These have included whole fresh chickens, steaks, portions of Scottish salmon, sea bass and other fish. Included in the side dish choice is usually a mixed salad, fresh mixed vegetables and vegetables ready for roasting.
There are also choices of ready prepared meals for those who prefer these types of meals.
All M & S food in my opinion is of a very high quality and these meal deals are excellent value.
I am a widow and live on my own but I always buy the deal. Sometimes when something is suitable I freeze half to eat at a later date and sometimes I eat the whole lot over two or three evenings. I usually take the bottle of wine to my son's when I go there for a meal and we drink it together.
I bought the recent Valentine deal which was an extra course (a starter) a more expensive bottle of wine and a long-stemmed rose. This deal was £20 but I saved over £11 on the things I bought and the main course and starter made me six meals. I ate the desert over four days and the rose made me feel I hadn't lost out on Valentine's Day!

meanmum

I've tried the M&S dine in for £10 deal quite a few times & always felt very happy with the quality of the food & the value for money. I usually don't shop at M&S so this deal draws me in (& then I buy other things - which I guess it the marketing ploy!) We are a family of 4 almost adults, & many of the items are enough for 4 (eg. whole chicken, some of the desserts). The prepared food I've had is of a quality that I'd be happy to have served in a restaurant. I don't think of it as replacing eating out, maybe it replaces the odd takeaway though. The main grip I've had it with availability of all elements of the deal, but that seems to have improved recently.

mcduff16

Hi there

I have tried M&S, Tesco and Waitrose dine in offers.

In my opinion the M&S deal is the best in terms of quality, selection and value. I particularly like the idea that M&S offer orange juice as a non alcoholic alternative.

ElliotReid

Jade_M wrote: »

Has anyone tried these deals?? M&S, Waitrose and Tesco are all currently doing them- 2 for £10 and 2 for £9

Tesco do Buttery Chicken curries - 2 for £5 in silver foil dishes and individual pilau rice (x 2) are a pound each, add onto that about 60p for a couple of naan breads and you have a gorgeous and well portioned meal for two for less than eight quid.

It's not too hot, not too cold and is gorgeous tasting!

I'm too picky a eater to stick to 'set' meals though like some of the others are - could never buy the pre-bagged ones.